


The Bad Luck Charm of the Courtroom

by baileek313



Category: RWBY, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: F/M, tags to be added as the story goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2020-11-23 03:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20885213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baileek313/pseuds/baileek313
Summary: The mention of the Stark Law Offices and their members is able to make the highest-ranking lawyers sweat. The Dragon of the Sun, the Tiny Turnabout Terror and the Bad Luck Charm of the Courtroom... more commonly known to their clients as Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen. What they expect to be just another year for them takes a dramatic turn. One shall fall, a changed friend makes a return and disaster is waiting in each case that they take....Qrow did not ask for this when he passed the bar exam.And he never asked to be called a Bad Luck Charm.





	1. Stark Law Offices

**Author's Note:**

> I lack impluse control. And I got an idea in my head.  
A RWBY Ace Attorney AU.  
Which I wrote.  
Because again I DON'T HAVE IMPULSE CONTROL.  
If something doesn't exist and I think of it, I have to write it.  
So, here we are now.

_ “OBJECTION!” _

The cry rang out as the defense slammed a hand down on the bench, red eyes narrowed and focused on the witness on the stand. Something about that seemed off. If he could get a little bit more information out of him, then maybe… just maybe…

“The murder weapon is a statue, not a clock,” he said, gesturing to the strangely crafted item sitting on the table set up in the middle of the courtroom. “Care to explain how exactly that is supposed to be a clock?”

“Whaa!? Y-You with your ‘objections,’ and your ‘evidence’... Just who do you think you are!?” He sighed at the witness’s harsh manner. It was a simple thing, but it was starting to tell him more than he expected. He sighed, running a hand through dark hair. It was because of people like this that he was starting to find gray hairs.

“Just answer the question.”

“Hey, I... I saw it there, okay! That's a clock!” The attorney opened his mouth to fire off a reply, hopefully something to get a more concrete answer, when the prosecution cut in.

“Your Honor! If I may…”

“Yes, Mr. Payne?”

“As the witness stated, this statue is indeed a clock. The neck is a switch. You just tilt it, and it says the time out loud. As it doesn't look like a clock, I submitted it as a statue. My apologies.” The defense groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Great, so the witness was right.

Wait… he was right?

“Well, defense?” His head snapped up when the judge addressed him. “It appears that the witness's testimony was correct. This is a clock. Do you have any problems with his testimony now?”

There was something wrong. The witness’s behavior was far too erratic for the simple questions he was asking. Maybe… just maybe… He smirked. That was it, wasn’t it?

“Yes,” said the attorney, making his way out from behind the bench. “The question now is how did the witness know it was a clock? As the prosecution just stated, it looks nothing like one. The only way the witness could have known what the murder weapon is was to hold it in his hand. And yet, he testified earlier that he never even set foot into the apartment!” His smirk grew bigger. “The witness has been lying to us the entire time. He was inside at the scene on the day of the murder!

“Oh yeah?” said the witness, sweat starting to pour down his face. “Prove it! Prove I went in there!” If the attorney was right… there was only one reason that he should have been in that apartment.

“I think I can do one better than that. I can prove you were the one who struck the victim. When you hit her, the shock of the blow triggered the clock’s mechanisms, making it sound. That was what you heard, wasn’t it?” Chatter rose up from the gallery. A melody of surprise that was like music to his ears. It meant he was getting closer. Now all he needed was the witness’s breakdown to finish this.

“Sahwit, that sound must have left quite the impression on you,” he continued once his voice could be heard again “Considering the murder weapon just spoke, it's understandable. But that voice was burned into our mind, that’s why you were so certain about the time!”

“OBJECTION!” He merely glanced over at the prosecution, leaning back against the bench as he did so. He looked about as bad as the witness. “W-W-What's the meaning of this? This is all baseless conjecture!”

“Baseless? Just take a look at the witness’s face.” With a simple gesture, it was clear to everyone that the witness was ready to tear his head off.

“Would the witness care to elaborate?” said the judge, “Did you strike the victim with the clock?”

“I... I...! That... that day... I... I never! Look... I... the clock... I heard, no! I mean, I saw...Saw…” The witness let out a screech, and the attorney felt something strike his face. He heard his co-counsel snicker as it plopped onto the floor. He groaned, feeling a shiver run up his spine at the fact that the witness just threw a toupee in his face.

“Shutupshutupshutup!” shouted the witness, having been pushed over the edge by the attorney’s line of questioning. “I hate you! I-it was him, I tell you! I saw him! H-he killed her and he should burn! Burn! Give him death!”

“Order! Order in the court I say!” The defense attorney sighed, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. even if it was in a disgusting manner, he had gotten the witness to break. He fired a glare at the prosecution, however, when he brought up the fact that he didn’t have any evidence to support his claim.

“Mr. Branwen!” He simply leaned his head back to get a look at the judge. “You claim the sound the witness heard came from the clock... Do you have any evidence?”

Qrow Branwen felt himself smirking again. How long had he been at this? And the judge was still doubting that his claims had any kind of support. Good for him, Qrow thought ahead about this.

“Of course I do,” he said, straightening up and walking over to where the evidence sat. “All I have to do is sound the clock. I ask the court to listen carefully.” Picking up the cock with a careful hand, he twisted the neck. As he thought, the clock sounded out ‘8:25’.

Wait. 8:25? 

“Hey, Payne!” Qrow placed the clock back on the table, turning to face the prosecution. “What time is it?”

“It's 11:25... Ack!” That’s what he thought.

“As the court just heard, the clock is three hours slow. If I remember correctly, isn’t that the discrepancy between what the witness heard and the time of death? So, Sahwit…” Pivoting on his heel, Qrow turned to face the shaking witness once again, cool as ice. “Try talking your way out of this one.”

To Qrow’s misfortune, the man started laughing.

“You forgot one thing!” said the witness. “While it may seem like that clock  _ is _ running three hours slow... It proves nothing! How do you know it was running three days slow on the day of the murder!? If you can't prove that, you don't have a case!” Qrow was silent.

_ Shit. _

“Mr. Branwen?” said the judge asGrow made his way back to the defense’s bench, the gears in his mind starting to work in overdrive. “It seems you lack the critical evidence to support your claim. This means I cannot let you indict the witness. Unfortunately... This ends the cross-examination of Mr. Frank Sahwit.”

_ Come on, Qrow… think of something!  _

_ “ _ Not so fast! _ ”  _ There was a bang as his co-counsel slammed her hand down on the bench, She had that look in her eyes as he returned to her side.

“You catch something, Summer?” he asked as the woman crossed her arms over her chest, a confident smirk on her face.

“Yup!” Summer said with a nod. “You’re thinking all wrong again, Qrow. You have to think outside the box! If you ask yourself ‘why was the clock three hours slow’ instead of ‘was the clock three hours slow’, then we have our evidence.”

“Ms. Rose, care to present this evidence?”

“Right away, Your Honor.” Oh, this was going to be good. She cleared her throat, he usual upbeat tone slipping away into a professional one. “f you recall, the victim had just returned home from France on the day of the murder. The time difference between there and here is nine hours. So, when it’s 4:00 here, it’s 1:00 there!”

“Which meant she had yet to reset her clock when she returned,” Qrow finished, earning a nod from Summer.

“Exactly. That’s why the time was off when he struck her dead. Is that proof enough for you, Mr. Sahwit. Or should I say Mr. Did-It?”

And with that bout of logic from Summer, the final blow was delivered. The witness confessed to his crime and was dragged off the stand by the courtroom bailiffs.

“I have to say, I'm impressed,” said the judge once quiet had fallen the courtroom after that storm of minor chaos. “Though, I’ve come to expect nothing less from your performances.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” said Summer with a small smile while Qrow only offered a nod.

Just as always, the ‘performances’ that the partners put on had proved to reveal nothing but the truth of the matter, freeing the defendant from the chains that threatened to bound him. The members of the Stark Law Offices never held back once they stepped into the courtroom. The cases they worked were always bound to be interesting, few as they were. It was always a showstopper. Or at least, that’s who the reporters usually put it.

In reality, it was the work of three minds with three different perspectives working with their great intellect towards one goal: to help their clients, to always believe in them and do what they could to find the truth. That’s what they did whenever someone came and asked for their aid. It was their job, after all. It’s what they were taught.

It was the lesson Qrow had implanted in his mind.

* * *

**August 3, 2016**

**2:32 PM**

**District Court**

**Third Floor Hallway**

_ Great, Summer gets a statue, and all I get is a sweaty toupee thrown in my face.  _ Qrow could still feel the remnants of the witness’s sweat on his face as he and Summer exited the defendant’s lobby. Summer held the statue… er.. clock their client had given her like it was the Hope Diamond. She always considering the things she received from those they helped to be some sort of treasure. That weird Thinker duplicate the defendant had made (The fact that it was identical to the murder weapon made Qrow uncomfortable) was no exception.

“Another case, another victory for the Stark Law Offices!” said Summer with the clock held high like it was some sort of trophy. Qrow simply hummed in response, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. Summer lowered the clock, offering her partner a mere smirk. “Still mad about the hair?”

“I can still taste it.” Summer giggled at Qrow’s earlier plight. It wasn’t the way he wanted the truth to come out, but that’s how it happened. Oh well, he had been through worse before. He could get through something as minor as this. The sound of rushing footsteps pounding against the floor of the courthouse.

“Mommy!” Two young girls, one a blonde firecracker and the other the near spitting image of Summer, bounding towards the two attorneys. They collided with Summer’s legs, nearly knocking her flat on her back. Summer laughed, placing a hand on the blonde girl’s unruly hair, the other resting on top of her tiny duplicate.

“Hey, girls,” she said, regaining her balance once more as a blonde man around their age joined the party, a sheepish-looking grin on his face.

“Congrats on your win, guys!” he said, greeting the pair as the girls stepped away from Summer. Qrow simply sighed.

“Thanks, Tai,” he replied.

“I expected nothing less from the Bad Luck Charm of the Courtroom and the Tiny Turnabout Terror.” The friendly manner Qrow had dropped as he frowned at the nickname that had been used.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Were you guys watching?” Summer asked, fixing her jacket from where the girls had pulled on it. The smallest of the two children, the mini-Summer, gave a proud nod.

“Yup! Daddy brought us!” she said as if she had just won Summer, however, stared at her husband, standing before her and trying to make himself look as if he didn’t have a role in any of this, with usually cold silver eyes.

“Taiyang Xiao Long, you brought them to a murder trial?” Taiyang only offered a slight laugh.

“Yeah…” was the only thing he could reply with. The blonde girl tugged on Summer’s sleeve, getting some of the ice in her gaze to melt away.

“We asked him to bring us!” she said before turning to her sister. “Right, Ruby?” Ruby fiercely nodded.

“Uh-huh! Yang was tugging on his arm and kept asking him ‘til he did!” Ruby said, bouncing on her toes as she explained. “She really likes watching you guys! And me too! I like watching, too! And I didn’t get scared at all!”

“See?” said Taiyang, taking a step back with his arms raised, “I’m innocent.”

“Weak,” said Qrow, not bothering to hide the smirk that had returned. Taiyang lowered his arms, giving Qrow a minor glare.

“You say that, but it’s not like you can resist their puppy dog eyes, either.” Qrow opened his mouth to respond, prepared to ask for some sort of example for Tai’s claim. However, no words came out. He couldn’t think of a moment himself when he had been strong against the combined efforts of Ruby and Yang.

“He’s got you there,” Summer said, nudging Qrow back into reality with her elbow. Qrow sighed. He hated it when Taiyang was right. Ruby stood up on her toes, tugging on her mother’s sleeve, bringing the clock she held into view.

“Mommy?” Ruby asked, her eyes focused on the shiny new thing she had just noticed. “What’s this?” Summer blinked before she simply smiled.

“The defendant gave me this as a thank you present!” she explained, crouching down to give the two girls in front of her a better look at The Thinker, demonstrating how the item worked for them. “It’s a clock, see? You twist the head, and it tells you the time. Cute, right?” Ruby's eyes sparkled like the precious metal they were colored after.

“That’s so cool!” Summer ruffled her daughter’s hair as she stood again.

“So,” said Taiyang with a clap of his hands. “What do you say we go and celebrate? We’ll drink a toast to innocence.” Yang gasped, spinning to face her dad like she had just noticed he was standing there. Taiyang nodded, and Yang spun to give Summer those eyes that she and Ruby were infamous for.

“Can we?” she asked. After exchanging a look with Qrow, who merely shrugged, Summer gave her own nod of approval.

“It sounds like a plan,” she said. And with that, the group of five made their way out of the courthouse.

“You’ll regret saying that, Tai,” Qrow told the third member of their law office when he finally decided to join his side. Taiyang sighed.

“… you’re paying for your own food, Qrow.” Qrow responded with his usual smirk.

“And there’s the responsible adult we know.”

* * *

**August 3**

**8:02 PM**

**Stark Law Offices**

The only exciting part about the day was the trial, the small celebration that followed after serving only as a way for all the adrenaline that came from standing in the courtroom to mellow out. Still, it served to be enough to drain Ruby and Yang. Qrow looked up from the paperwork he was finishing up for the case when he realized that the two girls were oddly quiet from their place on the couch. It only took a simple inspection to find out why.

“And they’re out like lights,” Qrow announced as he stood, staring at Taiyang as he crossed over to him. “You know it’s not right for two kids to be hanging around this office every day.”

“Things will get so much easier once school starts again next month,” he told his partner, to which Qrow could only hum in reply. Taiyang shook the two girls with a gentle touch, only getting a small groan from Yang. “Ruby, Yang. Come on guys, you don’t want to sleep on the couch. Your Uncle Qrow’s sat here.”

“Hey.” With a groan, Yang opened her eyes only a sliver. Ruby, however, was down for the count. She yawned, only free from the weight of Ruby when Qrow pulled her away. Yang curled her arms around her father’s neck as he picked her up, falling back asleep fairly quickly.

“YES!” came an overly excited cry made by Summer, the scream only muffled by the fact that she was in the next room. Qrow sighed, shifting Ruby in his arms.

_ Summer, you’re supposed to be on my side.  _ The door to the other room swung open, and out raced Summer with as big as grin on her face as the day she had earned her attorney’s badge. She was trying (and failing) to suppress a series of giggles as she spun around the room, clutching her briefcase close to her chest.

“Whoa, Summer—” Taiyang threw out an arm to catch the woman mid-spin before she collided with the couch. “Slow down. Before you break something.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just…” Summer sighed, her joy finally dropping down to a more manageable level. Her grin, however, didn’t waver. Neither did he light in her eyes. “I got a lead. Well, I think I got a lead.” She glanced down at her briefcase as she straightened up. “...I hope it’s a lead.”

“A lead?” Qrow asked. They had just wrapped up one case, and no Summer was taking on another?

“On it.  _ It _ , Qrow. I got a lead on  _ it _ .” Oh. She was talking about that ‘it’. Taiyang’s eyes went wide.

“It?” he repeated, earning a furious nod from Summer.

“Remember?” said Qrow, once again trying to find a way to balance Ruby’s weight. “The reason we founded this office in the first place.”

“You mean besides getting free reign to use the badges we worked so hard for?” Taiyang chuckled at the annoyed look Qrow gave him. “I’m joking. I know what you’re talking about. Your investigation into—”

“Yes,” said Summer, acting quickly before Tai could get out a word about what exactly she was looking into. “My investigation into  _ it _ . It make take a while before I can get enough evidence… testimonies and witnesses, but I’m sure that I can bring this guy to court! And then…” Her eyes drifted to the briefcase she was holding, running her thumbs over the front. “Then this nightmare… and maybe, just maybe…” Taiyang nudged her with his elbow.

“I know you’ll find him. I believe in you.” She offered him a gentle smile.

“Thanks, Tai.”

“Does this mean you’ll finally tell me what you’re ‘super secret mission’ is?” Qrow asked as the trio moved towards the office door. “We’ve been working our asses off for ten years to find the truth behind your little story, and I know nothing about it.” Taiyang and Summer exchanged looks with each other. “What?”

“We’ll tell you as soon as I get the full story.” Qrow sighed as he stepped out into the hall.

_ Stubborn as a mule… _

“Fine. But as soon as you get your verdict, I get to know what you’re hiding away in those files!” Whatever it was had to have been important. Especially since Summer kept all the information she had gathered under lock and key in her desk. She hummed, considering the offer as she and Tai followed after Qrow.

“Deal,” she said with a short nod. She flicked off the light before locking the door behind her.


	2. Turnabout Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had only taken a few hours for everything to come crashing down around them. Thus kindly does the Rose scatter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the first arc of the fic begins. If you've ever played the first AA game, then you know what's about to happen. If you haven't, then good. You'll be in for a treat.
> 
> The following chapter contains major character death.

She hummed to herself, keeping in time with her own handiwork and the dial tone ringing in her ear. She tightened the screws until they were firmly in place, and the screwdriver threatened to break in her hand. As soon as the last screw was replaced, the dial tone ended and a static-laced voice filled her ear.

“ _ Taiyang speaking. _ ”

“Tai? It’s me.”

“ _ Oh, hey Summer! I just left the house. I'm on my way over now. _ ” With a small sigh of relief, Summer shifted, keeping the phone pressed to her ear with her shoulder as she rubbed the forming blister in the palm of her hand.

“Did the girls give you any trouble getting up this morning?” Summer asked. It was one more day, then they would be back in school and things would be a lot easier than they had been during the summer months.

_ “I mean, Yang always puts up a fight when I try to put a comb to her hair, _ ” Summer bit back a snicker, _ “but… overall, not really. So, what's up? _ ” Okay, it was time to get down to business.

“I have a favor to ask.” Summer could practically picture the shift in Taiyang’s expression in her mind.

“ _ Is everything okay? _ ” he asked, his tone mirroring the concern Summer was imagining. She nodded to a man who couldn’t even see her.

“Yeah, everything's a-okay! I just want you to hold onto some evidence for me.” 

“ _ Me? Are you sure? _ ” Summer hummed a positive response. _ “Why not ask—? _ ”

“You know why I’m not asking him.” They had made a promise not to tell him about Summer’s investigation until the cause behind it all was safely behind bars. And that was a promise Summer was determined to keep. “I don't want more people wrapped up in this then they have to be. Besides, I want to trip them up. They'll think I handed the evidence to him instead of you. Go behind their backs. Smart, right?”

“ _ I gotcha. So, what is it this time? _ ” She took the phone into her hand again, using the free one to pick up the clock she had been working on off of the table.

“Do you remember that clock our last client gave me?”

“ _ You mean that really weird statue looking thing? _ ”

“Yup! The Thinker. But…” Summer turned to the bookcase behind her. There had to be an empty space where she could keep this thing until Tai got to the office, right? “It really isn't working right now. I had to take the clockwork out of it. I’m keeping the papers in there. Just in case.” She heard her husband laugh on the other end of the call.

“ _ You have the weirdest hiding places. _ ”

“And yet the girls still have yet to find their Christmas presents.” She heard Taiyang laugh again, joining along in the chorus with him. “Can you drop it off at home when you go to pick them up?”

“_I would, but I’ll be stuck in a meeting._” What?! “_Probably won’t be out until around six? Five-thirty if things go smoothly. Which they never do._”

“Great…” Summer groaned. And even greater: the bookshelf was full. The Thinker would have to stay on her desk longer than she wanted it to.

“ _ Don’t worry, I can get it after. _ ” Summer only gave him another hum, a bit disgruntled, but acceptable. _ “Hey, when I get out, why don’t we go to dinner? We haven’t been out in a while. You, me, the girls and Qrow. We can hit the usual joint. _ ” Summer sighed, tucking the clock under her arm.

“You’re going to regret that decision. You know, when you get stuck with the bill?” Like he somehow always ended up doing.

“ _ That’s for Future Taiyang to worry about. _ ” Summer merely rolled her eyes.

“Okay, okay.” Future taiyang would not be happy with what was to come in the coming hours. Especially when his wallet started complaining. “I’ll see you then.”

“ _ See you. _ ” And with a beep, the call ended. Summer sighed as she lowered the phone. It was only a few hours. A few hours, then her precious information would be completely safe. And a few more after that, she would finally—

Summer turned to replace the phone on the receiver. her shoulder collided with the light stand proudly standing tall behind her. Summer scrambled to catch it before it could fall and shatter. That thing had been expensive, she couldn’t let it break so soon! Fortunately for her, someone else managed to catch the glass stand before such a fate could befall it.

“You really should be more careful, shortstack,” said Qrow pushing the light stand back upright. “You just bought this thing.” Summer merely rolled her eyes as she made her way back towards her desk.

“Ha, ha, ha. Very funny.” She placed the phone back where it belonged, turning to Qrow and waving the clock at him. “I’m plenty careful, I’ll have you know.” She lowered it, offering her partner a smirk. “But thanks, Qrow. Don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Qrow leaned against the bookshelf, hands sinking deep into his pockets. “So, who was that you were talking to just now?”

“Tai.” Summer returned the clock to where it had been sitting on her desk earlier that morning. “He’s on his way here.” She heard Qrow sigh in relief.

“Good. He better not leave me with all…” he gestured to his own desk, as well as the healthy looking stack of paper that had yet to be tackled, “that to deal with. Again.” Summer bit down on her lip. Oh… right… there was still paperwork to finish up. And Tai was supposed to help. And it was only now that Summer realized that Qrow didn’t know about where Taiyang was going to be.

“Um…” Summer chuckled nervously, fidgeting with one of the buttons on her jacket, “about that…” Qrow merely stared at her.

“What?”

“He’ll be stuck in a meeting until six.” Qrow merely continue to stare, mouth dropping open by the slightest.

“Are you kidding me?” Summer shook her head. Qrow loudly groaned, muttering something under his breath as he did so. Summer put a hand on his shoulder.

“Relax, I’ll help you take care of it…” Or at least as much as she could before she had to go and check on the girls… An idea started to form in Summer’s mind, the smirk on her face becoming one of mischief. “Actually…”

“What?

“I’ll do all of your work if you do me on tiny little favor!”

“Summer…” That tone, why did he have to use  _ that _ tone? It wasn’t like she hadn’t tricked him like this before… on second thought, the tone was warranted.

“I need you to watch the girls for a bit until Tai gets out. The girls love you, I don’t think they’ll object to it. I mean I trust them on their own, but not for long.” After a moment, Qrow sighed.

“Fine, but you realize you don’t have to pile all that on to get me to watch the kids.” She blinked. Really?

“I know,” she said, the lie coming out as easily as a bluff in court. Qrow had moved quickly, snatching up his briefcase from the side of his desk. “Qrow, wait!” He stopped inches from the door. There was one last thing. “We’ll be going out to dinner afterwards too, if you want to come. Tai’s buying.”

“And what did he say to that?” Qrow asked, a hand on the door’s frame.

“He said that it’s Future Taiyang’s problem.”

“Given with how much you and Ruby can eat, it will be.” Summer attempted to cast him a glare, but it only turned into a small snicker. “Alright. What time do you want me to bring them here?”

“Around six. We can all head out together! Thank you so much, Qrow.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Qrow merely offered a wave as he opened the door to the office. “Like you said. What would you do without me?” He left without another, leaving Summer to tend to the work remaining.

* * *

**September 5, 2016**

**6:08 PM**

**Stark Law Offices**

The second Qrow Branwen pulled up to the quiet little office, both Ruby and Yang had sprinted out of the car. God, these girls were energetic. He picked up his pace as he followed after the girls into the building.

“Ruby! Yang!” he called out as they neared closer to the office. “Slow down!” He sighed. It was too late. The girls were already stopped in front of the door, having run all the way there. Why did small children had to have so much energy?

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby came bounding back up to him, leaving Yang to stare at the door. “The door’s open.” 

“Huh?” He stared at he as Ruby grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the office.

“I said the door’s open! Like wide open!” She brought him to the door. As she said, it was wide open. There was an eerie quiet hanging in the air. Qrow stared out at the room. Strange couldn’t begin to describe the feeling that had settled into Qrow’s stomach.

“Summer? Tai?” His own voice echoed back at him. The girls ducked behind the mn as he entered the office, flicking the light on. There was no one there besides the three of them. He 

“Mom!” There was a familiar scent hanging in the air. One that Qrow knew all too well.

_ What's that smell? _

“Daddy!” When the girls tried to go further, Qrow pushed them back. He knew that smell. he had grown up around it. And after having expelled so much of it in his younger years, it was permanently implanted in his mind. The door to the main office was ajar.

“Girls, stay out here.” Yang, biting her lip, gave a tentative nod and held her sister close. Qrow moved towards the final door, the one that almost always stood open to calm potential clients, to show they had no secrets. He made his steps as quiet as possible, the thought of what the door was now hiding forming a lump in his throat.

The first thing Qrow noticed was the scent had grown stronger. There was the sound of choked sobbing. Glass littered the ground, crunching under Qrow's feet as he made his way behind Summer’s desk. There, doubled over on the floor, was Taiyang, not noticing Qrow having entered. The sound was coming from him.

“Tai…?” He put a hand on his partner’s shoulder. Taiyang flinched at the sudden touch, grabbing Qrow by the wrist. He looked back at him, his eyes bloodshot and tears still falling down his face.

“Qrow…” The man’s voice cracked as he spoke. “She… Summer… She's…”

It was only then that Qrow noticed what he should have upon entering the room.

Slumped against the wall underneath the window was Summer Rose. Her eyes were closed. She sat there, umoving, not even a steady rise and fall of her chest. The vivid red of blood streaked down her face, dripping onto the front of her stark white jacket.

Every word Qrow could think of got stuck in his throat. All he could do was simply stare at Summer, dread freezing him in place. Dead. She was dead, Summer was dead. She was—

“Uncle Qrow?” The meek sound of Ruby’s voice broke him from his trance. She and Yang were standing in the doorway, threatening to take a step in the room.

“Don’t get any closer!” Qrow snapped, the warning was enough to get Yang to pull her sister back from the doorway. The older sister stared at him.

“What’s wrong? Where’s… Where’s…?!” He could hear the waver in Yang’s voice as she spoke. Feeling the shock of finding Summer’s body start to wear off, Qrow pulled Taiyang back on his feet. He was muttering strings of words, nothing comprehensible to Qrow. Yang’s panic grew only worse. “Dad?”

“Oh my God…!” Qrow heard Taiyang mutter. He, however, stared at the girls.

“Ruby… Yang… “ he started, the rest of the words getting stuck.

_ Shit…  _ He glanced over at the body lying under the window.  _ How the hell do you tell your kids that their mom…? _

“Don’t…” Taiyang said as pulled away from him. “Don’t look…” He put a hand on his girls’ shoulders, turning them away from the office. “C-Come on…” He led them back into the other room. Qrow was left alone.

He found himself moving towards the body. Qrow knelt down, doing nothing more than staring at Summer. No, she couldn’t be… He brushed her hair back, only to be met with the sight of a nasty gash marring her temple. The blood was still wet.

_ Summer…  _ She was still warm to the touch. If only they had gotten here sooner… if they had been fast enough… Qrow sighed, letting her hair fall back into place. Everything was getting stuck in his throat again. It had been hours since they had last seen each other. Mere hours, and now Summer was gone.

As Qrow made his move to stand, something caught his eye. Next to Summer’s body was a simple slip of paper, three letters written in red upon it. Qrow stared at it before standing.

_ Who’d write Tai’s name?  _ He shook his head. With one last look at Summer, he lowered his gaze and made his way out of the office and into the other room. The small family, now reduced to three, were quiet. Taiyang seemed to have calmed down, though the red around his eyes still remained.

“Qrow,” he croaked, a small hint of hoarseness in his voice, “take the girls home.”

“What?”

“I’ll stay here and talk to the police.” Taiyang crossed his arms, the grip he had on himself too tight to be okay. “I don’t… I don’t want them to…” Qrow held up a hand, cutting off Taiyang before the tears started anew.

“I get it,” Qrow said, merely offering a nod. He turned to the girls. “Ruby, Yang. Come on. We’re gonna go home.” Ruby merely bit her lip, staring at the floor at nodding before walking to her uncle’s side.

“But… But what about Mom?” said Yang, not moving and eyes burning with the same tears that were threatening to fall from her father’s eyes. Her hands were called into shaking fists. “Where’s Mom?!”

“Yang…” How the hell were you supposed to do this? How the hell were you supposed to tell a kid that the woman she knew as her mother was dead? Or worse, had been killed?

“Where is—?!” Yang’s demands were cut off by red and blue lights flashing outside of the window, along with the tell-tale sound of police sirens. Qrow bit back a curse.

_ Too late… _

“Did you call them already?” Qrow asked, attention snapping towards Taiyang. The man looked as confused as he did.

“No…” was Taiyang’s reply. They stood straight, eyes focused on the front door as the sounds of footsteps grew louder. The door opened and a tall, broad-shouldered man entered the room. Taiyang dropped his guard, while Qrow sneered in the newcomer’s direction.

_ Great. Of all detectives, him? _

“Detective Ironwood,” said Taiyang, choking out the name with some relief. “You’re here about… the…” It was like he couldn’t even say the word anymore.

“We received a report from the hotel across the street,” said Ironwood, giving Taiyang a short nod. “A woman staying there claimed to have seen a m—”

“In the next room,” interrupted Qrow, gesturing to the still open door. The detective merely gave him a look before he and the officers that accompanied him went into the room that housed the crime. Ruby grabbed her father’s hand.

“Daddy?” she asked, her grip grew tighter. “What’s going on?”

“Um…” Taiyang crouched down, looking at his daughters with empty words falling off of his tongue. “Girls… Ruby, Yang… Your mom… Summer, she… She…”

“Dad?” Yang’s voice cracked. Something bad had happened, she most likely had figured that out already. Qrow wondered if she realized what exactly that was.

“Xiao Long.” Ironwood appeared in the doorway. Taiyang stood. “Can I talk to you? In private?” Taiyang swallowed something down before nodding and turning towards his girls.

“I’ll be right back. You both stay here, okay?” Ruby and Yang didn’t reply, watching as their father disappeared out of their sight with the detective.

“Uncle Qrow? What’s going on?” Yang asked. She was starting to calm down at least. Qrow sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

“The police need to talk to your dad about something,” He paused, feeling something tighten around his throat. “...It’s about what happened to your mom.”

“Where’s Mommy?” Ruby’s voice was small, her hands curling around her skirt. Qrow didn’t say anything. What was he supposed to say? Flat out tell the kid that her mother was dead? “Uncle Qrow…?”

“Ruby… Yang… your mom… She’s—” Something was knocked over in the other room.

“Hey! James! Let go of me!”

“Xiao Long, stop trying to fight it.” Out of the room came Ironwood and taiyang, the former leading the ladder towards the door. Taiyang’s hands were behind his back. Qrow caught the glint of handcuffs around his wrists.

“Daddy?” Tears were building in Ruby’s eyes, while a fire ignited in her sister’s.

“Let go of him!” Yang dashed forward. 

“Yang!” Qrow acted quick, snatching up the girl before she could make a grab for the detective holding her father.

“James, I didn’t do it!”

“I know, but, Xiao Long—”

“Then get off of me!”

“James,” Qrow cut in as readjusted his hold on Yang, trying to make sense of what was going on and what the hell Ironwood thought he was doing, “what’s going on?” The detective sighed.

“I’m sorry, Branwen, but I have to take Xiao Long down to the detention center.”

“Qrow!” Tai tried to pull away from the detective, but Ironwood refused to loosen his grip on the pleading attorney. “Qrow, you know I didn’t do it! I didn’t kill her!” Qrow’s eyes went wide, and his hold on the girls slackened.

“ _ What _ ?!”

* * *

**September 6, 2016**

**9:07 AM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitor's Room**

Taiyang Xiao Long had been arrested hours before. Along with him, Qrow had been taken into police custody for questioning. Both Ruby and Yang were left in the capable hands of a friend of theirs on the police force. The interrogation took longer than Qrow wanted it to. It probably didn’t help that he wasn’t giving the facts that the police wanted to hear. He kept repeating the same story over and over again, all while weaving in the same statement: Taiyang didn't murder Summer.

Unfortunately, the police weren’t buying that. It wasn’t until early that morning that they let Qrow go. Despite how heavy his eyelids were, Qrow couldn’t let himself sleep. He sat outside the visitor’s room in the detention center. While he believed in his brother-in-law’s innocence, he would rather have confirmation that it was the truth.

Qrow watched as the security guard escorted Tai into the room. He grimaced as his brother-in-law sat down on the other side of the glass.

_ God, they have Tai locked up like he’s some sort of criminal… _ Taiyang let out a heavy sigh as Qrow stared at him.

“H-Hey, Qrow…” he said, staring at the table in front of him.

“Morning.” Even though his was trying to hide it, Qrow could still make out Taiyang’s puffy red eyes and the latest addition of the bags under them. He looked like he was about to pass out. 

“Where are Ruby and Yang? Are they…?”

“James let me call someone. I had Barty take them home,” he said, cutting Taiyang off with what had happened after he had been dragged out of the office. “Last I checked, they got sent off to school just fine.” Tai finally lifted his head.

“…are they okay?” How tired the father looked only made the concern he was carrying weigh down heavier on his shoulders.

“Physically, yeah. Emotionally… I’m not sure.” Taiyang only sighed at Qrow’s answer, running a hand through his hair.

_ They didn’t see the body, we saved them from being scarred there but… _ The sounds of the girls’ cries as their father was dragged away in handcuffs replayed in his head. Qrow sighed. That would be a memory he would be glad to get rid of. He heard Tai muttered something under his breath. 

“I can’t believe this… Summer…” Taiyang looked back up to Qrow. The solid facade he had when Qrow entered the room broke. If he could let any sort of tear fall, he would. “We should have been there.” Qrow shook his head. Something about Tai’s words made something in his chest tighten. He was right.

“I should have been there. I should have brought the girls straight to the office after picking them up. If that had happened, then maybe…”

“…I know, but then the girls could’ve gotten hurt, too.” Qrow sighed again. There were so many things that could’ve been different. If only he hadn’t taken Summer up on her offer. If only he had found some other way to stay. Tai wouldn’t have gotten arrested. Summer would be… Qrow groaned, leaning back in his chair.

“Tai… There’s something I want to ask you. What… What happened? When we got there, Summer was already…” Taiyang sighed, sitting up a little straighter.

“I was in that meeting all day yesterday. The second I got out, I went over to the office… Summer had evidence she wanted me to keep safe, so…”

“Evidence?” Qrow asked, a brow raised.

“That clock she got. I forget how exactly it was evidence… something about having to remove the clockwork or something like that. You can check my phone for that answer. I’m pretty sure that our call got recorded. But…”

“But what?”

“Ironwood confiscated it when we got here.” Qrow groaned, muttering several choice words under his breath and dragging a hand down his face.

_ Great, now I have to get past the Tin Man… _ He would find some way around him. He always did, even if the detective didn’t realize it.

“Qrow,” Qrow hummed, lifting his head as Taiyang spoke up again, “if things go south… I want you to—” Taiyang flinched when the legs of the chair Qrow was sitting in slammed back against the floor.

“Don’t think like that. You didn’t kill Summer. I know you wouldn’t. And…” He paused. How did he not think about this before? “Tai. When’s your trial?” Taiyang avoided looking at the lawyer sitting across from him.

“Tomorrow.” Qrow’s eyes widened.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” replied Tai with a nod.

“What about your defense?”

“Yeah, about that… I don’t…” Taiyang sighed, wringing a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m going to defend myself.” Qrow stared at him as a moment of silence hung in the air. It was only broken when he slammed a hand on the table.

“Tai, we both know that’s a bad idea! You’re not in the right state of mind to be defending  _ anyone _ , let alone yourself.”

“Then what do you suggest I do? I don't trust the public defender as far as I can throw him.” Qrow huffed a sigh, running a hand through his hair. In the past twenty-four hours, things had grown progressively worse with each passing second. Tai couldn’t defend himself without probably breaking down on the stand. The next option was Summer, and she was… Qrow shook his head. Taiyang looked pathetic enough like this, but the fact that he was… 

_ “...I’ve been a lawyer for some time now, and I’m still not sure about that. However… I think you might be on the right track. Someone has to look out for those who have no one on their side, don’t they?” _

Those old words echo in Qrow’s mind as he stared at Tai. If he had to describe him in anyway right now, it would be that. And he should know. Qrow had been in a position much like his before. And now hearing those words again… Qrow had made his choice.

“…I’ll do it,” he said. Taiyang stared at Qrow.

“What?”

“I’ll defend you.” His brother-in-law groaned, leaning against the table.

“Qrow, I can’t ask you to…” Tai shook his head. “Not with something like this.”

“I’ve already made up my mind, Tai. I’m defending you, end of story.”

“...why… you know what will happen if you lose. I’ll go to jail, and the girls… I don’t think they would forgive you.” Why was he trying so hard to get Qrow to change his mind?

“That’s not going to happen. It’s like you say, I’m the Bad Luck Charm of the Courtroom.” He had earned that name for a reason. Since his first cases, reporters had claimed that Qrow brought bad luck to the prosecution and their cases. While he normally hated the title, Qrow for once was glad that he had been given it. No matter what Taiyang said, Qrow wouldn’t let him abandon those girls. “So… You’re not going to jail. Not if I have anything to say about it.” Taiyang sighed.

“...thanks, Qrow.” For the first time since he came in here, Qrow could finally see some semblance of smile on Taiyang’s features.

“Don’t thank me yet. Not until you’re a free man.” There was no time to be relieved until Tai was safe at home with Ruby and Yang. And Qrow had the killer declared guilty and locked up for the rest of their life.

* * *

**September 6**

**11:02 AM**

**Stark Law Offices**

If having to walk to the Stark Law Offices was bad enough, the place was crawling with cops looking for clues. It didn’t take long for Qrow to be caught. He had barely taken two steps into the room before being accosted by the lead detective on the case. This had to be the second time in his life that Qrow felt uninvited upon entering into his own office. Though he had to admit, being glared at by Ironwood was a lot better then getting a death stare from his sister. 

“Branwen, what are you doing here?” said Ironwood as he pulled the attorney off to the side and away from the work his officers were handling. “This is a crime scene, it’s closed off to civilians.”

“It’s my office,” Qrow replied, leaning back against the wall. “I can be here if I want to.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I need Tai’s phone,” Qrow held out his hand. “He told me you had it. I want it.”

“You know I can’t do that.” Of course he couldn’t, but that didn't mean Qrow couldn't try to get it at least.

“You can for the defense attorney.” Ironwood raised a brow.

“He let you take his case?”

“Yeah, what of it?” It couldn’t have been that big of a shock.

“I thought he would be defending himself.”

“Would you really let him do that? He’s too emotionally attached.” Once again, Qrow could picture just how that mess of a trial would go if Taiyang didn’t let him take over. With him as much of a mess as he was at the moment, Tai would have been found guilty in a matter of minutes. 

“You have as much emotional attachment to this case as Xiao Long,” continued Ironwood, earning himself a sharp glare from Qrow. “What makes you think you can do this?” That may have been true, but there wasn’t anyway Qrow was going to admit it. He was more capable at his job that Tai was. He was going to do everything that he could to prove his innocence and keep a level head. Just like a certain detective did the night before.

“What makes you think you can arrest a man in front of his kids like that?” Qrow fired back, turning the impossible question back onto Ironwood. The detective sighed.

“I didn’t want to. But what we found told us enough to make such an arrest. And everything else we’ve been finding isn’t helping Xiao Long’s case.” Great, Qrow thought that this would be easier than expected. All he had to do was disproved on piece of evidence and then… well, he would figure out the rest later. “It's a shame. Taiyang was a good man. And now this…”

“You know he didn't do it.” Qrow’s rough tone of voice softened as he spoke. “He loved Summer more than anything.”

“You'd be surprised how many times I've heard that. It could have been a crime of passion or an accident. Either way, Xiao Long…”

“Taiyang's getting off. I'm taking his case, remember?” said Qrow more firmly than before. Ironwood didn’t say anything. He held his hands behind his back, avoiding looking at Qrow entirely. “What? You know that you can’t hide things from me, what is it?”

“I'm afraid that this isn't a trial you can win so easily, Branwen.” What made him say that? Nearly every prosecutor Qrow had gone up against had been instilled with a small fear of him. Their nerves would cause them to slip up in the presence of the bad luck charm. More often than not, that’s what Qrow felt caused him to win, not his own skills. “They assigned Pine to be the prosecution.”

_ They did what?  _ Qrow felt a crack in his confidence form as he went rigid, pushing himself off the wall in the process.

“I'm sure you know what that means,” said Ironwood.

“...Tai's fucked,” was all that went through his mind and out of Qrow’s mouth.

“I wouldn't put it so crudely.”

“Don’t talk to me like one of your recruits. I have ever right to say it.” In their field of work, rumors would circulate like wildfire. And Qrow had heard more than his fair share of his soon to be opponent. “The man they gave this case to doesn't feel pain, he doesn't feel remorse… He’s lies straight through his teeth to make himself appear a hero. I’m willing to bet there's nothing he wouldn't do for a ‘guilty’ verdict.”

“You make him sound barely human.” Qrow merely slumped against the wall again and stared at the floor.

_ He used to be. _ Still… in the eleven years that Stark Law Offices had been in operation and Qrow had taken to the courts, he had hoped not to face the man. With as bad as his luck was, the pairing was bound to happen sooner or later. He groaned. This was going to be harder than he thought.

“Here.” Qrow looked up. Ironwood held out a small device to him — Tai’s phone.

“You’re giving this to me?” he asked, taking the item from him.

“This,” Ironwood picked up a folder that had been laying on top of the reception desk, “and the autopsy report.” Qrow took that from him without hesitation.

“Does the Tin Man have a heart?” The remark brought back Ironwood’s glare.

“… I believe in his innocence as much as you do. And besides, I went through his records already. Nothing on that phone can be used against him.” 

_ No, but it does have something that can help him.  _ Qrow pocketed the phone, tucking the autopsy report under his arm in the process.

“I’m sorry about what happened to Summer.” Qrow looked up at the detective as Ironwood spoke up again. “She was a good woman and a good lawyer. At least she didn’t have to suffer. Her death was instant.”

“Are you done?” Most of what he had been saying during their entire conversation had only done more to piss Qrow off. The only good thing was that he was compliant in handing over what Qrow needed. “Because I still have things to do before tomorrow.”

“Unless you’re planning on talking to the witness—” Qrow raised an eyebrow.

“Witness?”

“The one who called us.” 

_ Right… didn’t you say that they were across the street last night?  _ There had been so much going on that Qrow had forgotten about a few of the finer details of the matter.

“No. I was gonna wait until the trial to do that. I know better than to try and force information out of you.” Qrow began to make his way towards the door, weaving in and out of police officers’ way as he did so.

“Branwen!” Ironwood called out to him as he neared closer to the door. Was he getting predictable that this point? Qrow huffed a sigh.

“Fine. I won’t talk to them! Cross my heart.” He quickly made his way out of the office, not letting the detective see the smirk on his face. That smirk only grew wider as he spotted the hotel across the street.

_ … but investigating the building… now that I'm doing. _

* * *

**September 6**

**11:23 AM**

**Gatewater Hotel**

**Room 303**

Getting into the hotel room was easier than he expected. All he had to do was play cop for a minute, and the bellboy was more than happy to give him the room number of Ironwood’s mysterious witness. For once, luck seemed to be on Qrow’s side. The moment he entered the room, he could hear the shower running from the bathroom, followed by the sound of a woman’s voice. As long as he was quiet and quick, Qrow could get every ounce of information that he needed.

First thing that he noticed was the layout of the room. It looked relatively clean, with the exception of the bottle and two empty glasses on a nearby table. Qrow strode over to the window, gazing out at the office below. From this angle, he could clearly see into the main office. He could see the place where Taiyang found Summer under last night. It wouldn’t be difficult to recognize a face from this distance, either.

Qrow softly groaned as he pushed away from the window. There had to be something here that could help. He glanced around the room. Room service had done their job well. There wasn’t much for him to search for. The only suspicious thing was the half-open drawer with the screwdriver sticking out of it… Qrow made his way over to the drawer, opening it fully.

_ Well, well, well… what do we have here…?  _ Next to the screwdriver was a familiar little device that Qrow had seen a lot of growing up. He plucked the wiretap from the drawer, letting it dangle from the wires in-between in his fingers. What would this witness be doing with something like this?

There was something up about this. It didn’t make sense to have a wiretap thrown into the drawer like this. ...It wouldn’t hurt to take this with him, right? It could serve as some form of evidence in the trial tomorrow. And if not, it didn’t hurt. Qrow heard the shower turn off as he slid the wiretap into his pocket.

“Oh, bellboy...?” sang the woman from inside the bathroom. “Still there?” Well, time to go. Qrow would have plenty of time to tango with her tomorrow in court. Without so much as a word, the attorney rushed out of the hotel room.

Even though his brief investigation was coming to a close, he still had some things to do. For one, he still needed to pick up the complete case file from the police. And then… there was the hardest thing he had to do today. As three o’clock drew nearer, Qrow made his way over to the school that Ruby and Yang attended.

* * *

**September 6**

**3:07 PM**

**Sanctum Elementary School**

Qrow sighed as he waited towards the back of the crowd of parents that stood outside of the school, waiting patiently for their kids to come out and meet them. out of everything that he had done in his life, this had to be one of the most difficult. How exactly were you supposed to tell two kids that they were never going to see their mom again?

“ _ Uncle Qrow _ !” Qrow’s head snapped up as a blur of red rushed through the group of kids now flooding out from the school doors. Ruby collided with Qrow’s legs, nearly making him stumble back. He put a hand on top of her head.

“Hey, kiddo. Where’s your…?” As Ruby slid off of him, the sulking blonde Qrow was about to ask about strode up to her uncle and her sister. “Hey, Yang.”

“Uncle Qrow…” The normally fired up girl looked like someone had just dumped a bucket of water on her fuse.

“You okay?” Yang looked up at him. Those large, purple eyes of hers had lost their spark as well.

“Where’s Dad? What happened to Mom?” Yang asked. Well, she remembered last night better than Ruby did. The grin her sister had on her face when she left the building faded. “Is she… did someone…? Did someone hurt her?”

_ Why do you have to ask the hard questions first? _ Qrow couldn’t hide things from Yang. Even if he tried, Yang would probably be able to catch him in his lie. He didn’t say a word. He ushered the girls towards the mostly empty parking lot of the school. 

“Your mom… Yeah… She um… She just didn’t get hurt, Yang…” He spoke for a living, why was this so hard now?! “Girls, your mom… she was um… someone… someone hit your mom pretty badly. And because of that she… she… she died. She’s… She’s gone…” The girls came to a stop, staring at their uncle.

“Mommy’s… gone?” said Ruby, tears brimming her eyes. Qrow sighed, supplying her with a nod.

“That’s why those men took your dad last night. They think he did it.”

“But he didn’t!” said Yang, anger building like her own set of tears. “Dad would never do that!”

“I know, I know… but… they have a lot of evidence…” Qrow sighed again, “proof that he did it.”

“But he didn’t! He said that he didn’t!”

“Well, that’s what they think.” Ruby sniffled, huddling close to her sister. She buried her face in Yang’s shirt. Yang wrapped her arms around her sister. Qrow crouched down to the girls’ level. Yang let out a hiccup as tears started to roll down her cheeks. “Don’t worry, your uncle’s gonna take care of this. I’m going to defend your dad tomorrow, and he’ll be home with you before you know it.”

He wasn’t sure what to say about the loss of their mother. Qrow himself hadn’t even thought about the situation either. If he could, he would avoid talking about it altogether. The two girls turned to him, burying themselves in their uncle’s arms as they let their tears flow. He lost track of time. The entire lot was almost empty by the time one of the two pulled away.

“Where’s Dad now?” asked Yang, rubbing away the rest of her tears with her sleeve. “I want to talk to him.”

“You want to talk to him?” Qrow repeated, earning a nod from Yang. He stared at her as Ruby shifted to do the same.

“I wanna know what happened! And Dad was there already when we got there so… I wanna go!” Without another word, Yang darted towards Qrow’s car. Qrow stood up.

“Yang, slow down!” She wasn’t listening. He sighed. “Come on, Ruby. Let’s go get your sister before she does something stupid.”

“But I wanna see Daddy, too!” He fought back a groan.

_ God... _

* * *

**September 6**

**3:46 PM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitors Room**

Yang and Ruby ran ahead of Qrow, calling out for their father the second that they could see him. Qrow knew it couldn’t be possible, but did Tai look even more tired than he did when they last spoke this morning…?

“Are you okay?” Ruby asked, standing on her toes to try and see her dad over the table that helped to divide them. The moment Qrow sat down across from him, Ruby took the opportunity to crawl up into his lap to see better.

“I’m.. I’m okay, Ruby. Don’t worry, okay? Your dad’s just fine,” said Taiyang. “He’s… in a little bit of trouble, that’s all.”

_ A little trouble? _ He was arrested for murder. Qrow didn’t need to ask Tai to know that he was lying to the girls. He knew that he didn’t. 

“Because of what happened to Mommy?”

“Um… y-yeah…”

“But you didn’t do it, right?!” said Yang, tall enough to slam her hands down on the table. “You said you didn’t do it, so that means you didn’t do it!” The blonde paused. “...R-Right?”

“No, Yang. I didn’t do it. But the detectives and the police think I did.” Yang’s face flared up red.

“They’re all jerkfaces!” she said, hitting the table again.

“Yang.”

“Jerkface!” Ruby echoed. Qrow huffed a sigh at his nieces’ thoughts of what exactly served as an effective insult. The anger in Yang soon started to fade out. Her hands started shaking, and her face was turning red for a different reason.

“Why did this happen?” Yang asked, her hands falling to sides. She stared at the ground.

“Yang…” said Taiyang, trying to soothe his daughter behind the glass. She sniffed, thick tears forming in her eyes.

“Why?!” Yang was full on breaking down now. “Mom was a good person! Why would someone do this to her!?” Yang had started to hyperventilate. Out of the corner of his eye, Qrow could see Ruby’s own silver ones start to well up at her sister’s own crying.

“Yang,” Qrow placed on hand on his niece’s back, “take a deep breath and calm down.” Yang slowly nodded, doing her best to steady her breathing, even if it only came out with a series of uneven hiccups.

“Sis…” Ruby crawled over, nearly falling on the floor as she did so. She latched onto Yang, burying her face into her shoulder. Yang clutched onto Ruby as if she were her only lifeline in a stormy ocean.

“Why…” Yang’s voice was muffled by Ruby’s clothes. Qrow sighed. That seemed to be the question of the day, didn’t it?

“Tai?” said Qrow, turning to the detainee. “I’d like to know the answer to that myself.” Taiyang was quiet. He stared at the table and the glass that separated them. Ruby and Yang had pulled away from each other, Yang’s tears subsiding for the time being, when he finally spoke up.

“… She was looking into something. And…” Taiyang sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t look up. “I think whoever was behind it didn’t want her to tell everyone the truth.”

“Does this have to do with ‘it’?”

“It?” Ruby repeated, staring up at her uncle.

“‘It’ was why your mom decided to join the office.” Qrow could remember clear as day that Summer was practically jumping around the office the day of her death. She had finally gotten all of the evidence she needed to complete her self-imposed mission. The trail for it should have been today.

“It’s… complicated. And something, Qrow,” Taiyang looked up at his partner, “we should have told you a long time ago.” Qrow settled back into his seat.

_ Not how I wanted to hear this story but… better late than never.  _ Tai drew in a breath before beginning.

“About fifteen years ago, someone…” Taiyang glanced away again, as if searching for the right way to say it, “close to Summer was part of an incident.”

“Incident?” Ruby repeated. Taiyang sighed.

“Something bad that happened,” he explained before going on. “There was a strange murder case. It caused a lot of trouble, and the police were starting to run out of ideas. So, they went to her.”

“Mom’s friend?” Yang asked, having calmed down enough to form a decent question. Once again, Tai was quiet for a while. After a moment, he shrugged.

“I guess you could call her that. Anyway, with her help, the case was solved. At least, that’s what we thought.” Qrow raised a brow.

“You thought?” he asked. How can you think a case is closed? Either it was or it wasn’t. There was no in-between when it came to their line of work.

“The man that they arrested turned out to be innocent. The work she did with the police was meant to be secret. But someone found out and told the newspapers about it. He told them that Summer’s friend was a fraud…” Tai sighed as his daughters gave him confused looks, “a liar. Everyone turned on her.”

“Why would someone do that?” said Yang, slamming her hands down on the table again.

“I don’t know, Yang,” said Tai with a sigh. “I don’t know.” Qrow could guess why. He had seen it time and time again… both in his work and growing up. He wished that Summer hadn’t fallen victim to it.

The officer guarding the door to the holding cells walked over, placing a hand on Taiyang’s shoulder. 

“Sir,” he said. “I’m afraid visiting hours are over.” Taiyang only gave him a short nod before turning back to his visitors.

“Girls, be good for your Uncle Qrow, okay?” said Tai, forcing a grin. Yang nodded, Ruby supplying the ‘okay’. Ruby hopped off and onto the floor. Yang took her sister’s hand, leading her out of the room. Taiyang stood, locking eyes with Qrow as he did so. “And Qrow? I’m counting on you.” Qrow offered him a nod as he stood as well.

“I got this, Tai,” he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Don’t worry. I got this.” Taiyang nodded. Qrow went after Ruby and Yang, hoping that the girls hadn’t made it too far in the few seconds that they had vanished from his sight.

* * *

**September 6**

**8:13 PM**

**Xiao Long-Rose Residence**

Qrow had been to Summer and Tai’s home plenty of time before. It was a small place on the outer edges of the city, deep in the heart of the suburbs. It was warm and inviting, with the smell of baked goods permanently seared into the walls. However, when Qrow walked in there with Ruby and Yang, the atmosphere he had come to know was gone. Everything was cold.

It didn’t help that the girls said very little. It wasn’t like he was going to say much, either. So much had happened in less than two days. Qrow let out a sigh as the night dragged out. Soon, he sent the girls off to bed, telling them not to complain when he was met with resistance. They had school. He had court.

“Uncle Qrow?” Ruby said as soon as she curled up into her bed. “I miss Mommy…”

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Qrow replied, holding back a sigh. He missed her too. “I’m gonna find who took your mom away, alright? Just trust me.”

“Okay.” Ruby buried her face into her sheets. Qrow went to turn out the light. In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yang sitting up in her bed. Her hands were tightly wound around her blanket, and watery eyes were gazing at her lap.

“Is Dad going to jail?” said Yang before Qrow could even turn. He stared at the girl.

“Why do you think that?” he asked.

“Because that’s what happens to people they think did it.” Qrow held back another sigh, leaning up against the wall. That’s usually what happened in court cases… at least cases that Qrow never worked on. “If you can’t prove that Dad didn’t kill Mom then…”

“No, that’s not going to happen. Not if I have anything to say about it.” It didn’t matter who the prosecutor was, Qrow was going to Taiyang acquitted. Even if he had to physically fight someone to do it. There was no way he was letting him go to prison. He wouldn’t even survive a week in there. Yang glanced up at Qrow.

“Uncle Qrow? You’re gonna save Dad, right?”

“I’m going to.” He was going to try at least. Yang laid back down, curling up tighter in her bed. Qrow heard her sniff.

“… I miss her…” Qrow bit back another sigh yet again, taking a few steps towards his niece. He crouched down by her bedside. Being older than Ruby meant that she understood the situation better than her sister. And that also meant she could figure out what exactly was on the line.

“Hey. We’re gonna get through this.” She was just a kid. She shouldn’t have to worry about any of this. He brushed her bangs out of her face. “Me, you, Ruby and your dad. We’re gonna get your dad out, and then we’re gonna get through this. All of us. Alright?” Yang nodded.

“Alright. I believe you.” She believed him. Yang bid her uncle goodnight one more time before he turned out the light, taking leave of the room.

As soon as the door shut, Qrow finally let out a heavy sigh, dragging his hands through his hair. She believed him. Yang believed that he could get Tai out of this mess. Both of the girls were still just kids. They had lost their mother and watched their father get dragged to prison by someone that they should have trusted.

Qrow reached into his jacket. He pulled out the silver flask he kept concealed in there. He stared at it. So much was riding on tomorrow’s trial. Only once in his life had a trial held such high and such personal stakes. But this time, it wasn’t just himself that Qrow had to worry about. He had to get Taiyang out of prison and back with his girls, find the person who killed Summer and make sure that they rotted in jail for the rest of their life. He could not let this little family get torn apart even more so than it had been before. He groaned.

_ What did I get myself into? _

Qrow opened the flask and took a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next:
> 
> Chapter Three: The State v. Xiao Long
> 
> Qrow does what he can to keep Taiyang from going to prison.


End file.
